That One Drunk Night v2
by Revolutionary Venom
Summary: What happens when you meet someone awesome at a music venue? AU, rating more for caution
1. Thank God for hangovers

'Allo 'allo

I kinda stopped writing in the RW/YST universe because I was uninspired. After looking at this story again though when it was originally posted, I noticed that it needed to be revamped. BADLY. So here it is, being fixed in its glory of AU

Disclaimer: I don't own RW/YST

* * *

><p>Shin didn't know why he was here. He hated going to music venues, or at least it was more accurate to say that he hated going to the ones that Touma and Ryo always dragged him to.<p>

So why was he sitting by himself at a pub table, rum and coke sitting on the table?

Because Ryo and Touma had said that he didn't get out enough. That he spent all his weekends working at his job at the aquarium, or would just…how did Touma say it? "Be still like vegetables" or "lay like broccoli" somewhere in the apartment the three shared. And Shin hated those phrases very much.

So here he was, on a recommendation/to prove his roomies wrong. Right now, he was waiting for the band to come out. The opening act had stunk, and it seemed to Shin that more people were showing up in the small bar-turned-venue after the opening act left.

_Maybe this band is actually good_, thought Shin, sipping the rum and coke he had in his hand, watching as the other tables filled up.

Suddenly, a voice filled the bar. "And now, the Baroque Bar would like to introduce 'The Revolutionary Samurai'!"

Shin gazed up to the stage and watched as various band members took places at different instruments that were already set up on stage. But what caught Shin's full attention was the one walking to the microphone.

The person going to the mic quickly picked up an acoustic guitar that sat in a stand onstage, and then proceeded to the microphone. "How's everybody doing tonight?" the person asked the crowd. They, in turn, cheered loudly. Shin looked at the crowd, then to the band onstage.

"Well, sounds like we got ourselves a full house," the leader of the band said, taking the guitar and sliding it on so the instrument could be played. "So let's get started, shall we?"

For however long the band played, Shin could not take his eyes off the singer. The singing was just…well, something like that of a siren. You get pulled in and don't want to get out. The guitar was a different story. Shin was mesmerized at the singer's guitar playing. He himself had tried several stringed instruments and had found them incredibly hard to play. At least, his fingers weren't fast enough to get to the right chords, so he'd given up each time.

Suddenly, the music stopped. Shin came out of his daydreaming and realized the band had finished a song. Actually, they'd done several without him noticing because he had been so hypnotized.

The singer took a drink from a cup that sat on a stool close by, the bass player doing the same. When the singer finished, the cup was put back down and looked up at the audience. "You guys have been an awesome crowd," the band leader said. "And if there are any new faces out there, I think we should introduce ourselves."

Shin's breath stuck in his chest as most of the crowd cheered. He wasn't sure why, perhaps it was because he had been anticipating something like this. Learning the singer's name…

"Over on drums is our good friend Taki."

The drummer waved, drumsticks in his hands

"On piano and other smaller things is Kiya."

The pianist waved as well, smiling.

"Our bass player is probably the best one you'll ever meet, Seji."

Seji played a quick solo on his guitar.

"And I, lead singer, acoustic and sometimes electric guitar player, am Shu." He played a few chords on his acoustic, smiling.

Shin just stared. _Shu…so that's his name_. He noticed then that the lead singer was looking his way. Shin started freaking out. _Can he see me? It's probably too bright onstage for him to see me, but still…_

Shin noticed that the lead singer, which he now knew as Shu, was turning to the other members of the band, as if he was saying something to them. Then he turned back to face the audience, a big grin on his face.

"Well, as they say, all good things must come to an end," Shu said. The crowd 'awwed' when he said this and one woman in the back (Shin guessed that she was close behind him somewhere because she was LOUD) yelled, "I LOVE YOU SHU!"

"Thanks for the love, but I'm sure your boyfriend doesn't appreciate it," Shu answered. "Anyway, this is our last song for the night since we've been playing for almost two hours."

_TWO HOURS? I spaced out for that long?_ Shin's thoughts exploded.

"It's a new song called 'Daydream'", the singer simply said, before the band started up.

_**I hear the pounding footsteps on the stage,  
><strong>__**I look around to wonder 'how did his happen?'  
><strong>__**A place to make a song come to life,  
><strong>__**My place in which dreams could come true as I take that step  
><strong>__**My world caved in on me, as the teacher woke me from my daydream**_

_**Time spent away, daydreaming,  
><strong>__**Sometimes we all spend time awaaaay  
><strong>__**Daydreaming, of our life dreams,  
><strong>__**Only to come out and see,  
><strong>__**To cry when we see that it is only a daydream**_

_**Treading on the path alone, trying to make this dream come true,  
><strong>__**With no one to tell me daydreams can't come true,  
><strong>__**To make them come true, one must only believe that the daydream will appear,  
><strong>__**I can only hope that people everywhere dream big...**_

As Shin listened to the song, he felt...moved. He had no words to describe how he felt. Shin could relate to it very well. Who else out there waited on their daydreams?

But then, the song finished.

"You guys have been an awesome crowd, but we're gonna take off now. Good night!" He waved and walked offstage with the other band members, the audience cheering loudly.

Shin watched as they walked off. He wished that he could somehow talk to the lead singer, he seemed like a nice guy…and he was kind of cute.

The young man felt his face grow hot. Knowing he was blushing, he gulped what was left of his now watered-down rum and coke. Shin had come to terms with the fact that he wasn't into girls years ago, but it still felt weird when he blushed in public or when Touma and Ryo were teasing him.

As the crowd began to pile out, Shin sat there, wondering what to do. He didn't really want to go home just yet, since it was only ten and he knew his roommates were most likely not at the apartment either.

So after the crowd was gone and only a few people remained, Shin walked over to the bar and took a seat at one of the stools.

The bartender, an older, longhaired man with an eye patch came over. "What'll it be?" he asked.

"Just give me a beer," Shin answered.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Shin looked up and saw that it was the band's singer, Shu, the very man he had wanted to meet.

"Not at all," Shin answered.

Shu smiled and sat down next to him, looking to the bartender. "Hey Rajura, can I have a beer too?" the singer asked.

Rajura reached under the bar and brought up two bottles of beer. He popped the caps off of both bottles, placed them on napkins, and then slid the bottles to the two men at the bar. "There, that should do it," he said. "Now, I'm going to go tend to other customers. Can you two be good?"

"Don't worry Rajura, we'll be fine," Shu answered, taking a sip of his beer. As Rajura left, Shin had to ask. "Why did he say that?"

"Because sometimes when I get a drink after the show, some fan boy or fan girl will harass me, or they'll start fights that I don't know why they wanted to start in the first place and I gotta finish 'em," Shu told him. Then he realized something. "Oh, I'm sorry." He turned to face Shin. "I'm Shu."

"I'm Shin," he managed to say, not quite sure if this was real or not. He almost pinched himself, but decided against it.

"So, how did you like the show?" Shu asked. "I gotta admit, I messed up a few times with the chords on one or two songs-"

"Actually, this was my first time seeing you and the band," Shin confessed, looking at his beer, rolling the bottle a little in his hand. "I'd never been to this place until tonight, when a friend of mine recommended it to me."

He looked back up at Shu to see his face with that 'deer caught in the headlights'. But then he smiled. "Well, it's always nice to make a new friend," he said. "But I gotta ask you two things; one, what made you come here? And two, did you like the show?"

As Shu took a drink, Shin thought of a way to answer the first question. "Well, I guess it's because of several things," he said. "My roommates have dragged me to all these awful heavy metal and rock venues, and I can't stand it when they do."

"I tried singing heavy metal songs once," Shu said thoughtfully. "Completely shredded my vocal cords by the next day. 'Course, me and Seji were only 15 at the time." He stared at Shin for a second before asking, "How could you stand half the music we played if you hate rock music?"

"I didn't say that!" Shin exclaimed. "I do actually like some rock, but the music venues that I've been forced into going to were those punk rock and heavy metal ones that were more like moshpits than bars or whatever."

Shu looked grim. "Ya, I've tried to perform at places that were like that," he said. "My band was an opening act at a place called 'The House of Funk' which is usually a nightclub, but they converted it that one time so that Diamond Spike could play there."

"Oh my God," Shin said, putting his forehead in one of his hands, laughing. He was laughing so hard that beer nearly shot out of his nose from the drink he had just taken.

"What? What's so funny?" Shu asked.

Shin managed to come out of his giggle fit long enough to answer. "Diamond Spike is one of my roommate's favorite bands," he said. "His name is Touma. He even thought of being a roadie for them for awhile, but in the end he decided against it."

"A roadie for them eh?" Shu asked inquisitively. "So what made him want to do that? Or for that matter, why'd he not be one?"

"Well, he liked them that much is the short answer," Shin told him. "But he had decided that his dream of becoming a professor was much more important, so he continued his education fulltime."

"Well, whatever works," said Shu, taking a drink of his beer.

And for a long time, they just sat there at the bar, getting to know one another.

* * *

><p>Sunlight poured into the room.<p>

_Oh man, what happened?_ Shin thought, opening his eyes a slit. _My head hurts like a son of a-_

Suddenly, he realized he wasn't in his own bed at the apartment. Shin was in someone else's bed, in only his boxers.

He opened his eyes all the way, sat up, and looked around. The room was fairly clean, though small. A medium-sized window was behind the bed, letting whatever sun could get inside. There was a nightstand next to him that had a glass of water and some aspirin on it.

Shin rubbed his eyes, picking up the water and aspirin. _Well, wherever I am, the person was thoughtful at least,_ he mused as he popped the medicine into his mouth and gulped down the water.

Deciding he should probably find out where he was, Shin got out of bed and walked over to the door that would lead out of the room. Soon he would see what – or more like whom – was on the other side of it, hoping he hadn't made a huge mistake. He turned the knob and opened the door fully.

"Well, good morning sunshine."

Shin looked over to what looked like a small kitchen/dining area to see Shu, the singer from the night before. It looked like he was cooking breakfast. "How do you feel?" he asked.

Shin just gawked at what he was seeing, before he answered. "I've got the biggest headache known to man." He took a seat at the small table in the kitchen area. "How the heck did I end up here?"

"Don't remember anything?"

"I remember us talking, but I don't remember much other than that…"

Shu chuckled a bit, putting down the spatula he had been using to make pancakes. "Well, you're right, we had been talking," he said. "But around the sixth beer you ordered, you were wasted. Out of the stuff we'd been talking about, I didn't know anyplace that you said you lived, so I just brought you back here."

"...the wasted part sounds about right,"Shin said. "If I drink beer, I get drunk pretty fast. Anything else though, and I can drink anyone under the table...what happened to my clothes?"

"Well…" Shu paused in mid-placing of pancakes on a plate. "You kinda started to get sick, and some of it got on your clothes. So, I managed to get them off and threw 'em in the wash. I think they're still in the dryer."

Shin sighed. "Sorry about that," he said. "I don't usually drink like that and whatnot."

A plate of pancakes was placed in front of him. "Don't worry about it," Shu said. "After you're done eating, I'll see if your clothes are dry."

Shin smiled. "Thank you," he said, taking a bite of one of the pancakes. "Hey, these are great."

Shu grinned back. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>Shin walked happily to his apartment door. He and Shu had spent the day talking some more, but this time, no beer or alcohol was involved.<p>

He slid his key into the keyhole and opened the door, not expecting anyone to be home-

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?"

The young man winced. "Geez, want to turn down the volume a little?" he asked.

Touma just glared at him, while Ryo continued. "You've been gone all night and just about all day!" he exclaimed. "Touma and I checked all the hospitals after we found out you hadn't come home this morning! Why didn't you give us a call?"

Shin sighed, tossing his keys onto a small table nearby. "Honestly, I didn't think about it," he answered, facing his roommates. "Last night, I met someone, we got to talking, and I got drunk. He took me back to his place and I slept it off. He was even nice enough to wash my clothes because they got...messy."

Touma and Ryo just stared for a few seconds. "It never occurred to you that he might've done something?" Touma asked.

Shin just raised an eyebrow at that.

"Alright fine," Touma said, shrugging. "You would know if he had."

"But still," Ryo interjected. "If you're gonna be out all night, a call would be nice."

Shin sighed, but smiled. "Alright, I'll remember next time." He walked over to the door that lead to his own room-

"So, who's this guy you met anyway?"


	2. What's This?

Shu looked up from the TV to the door of his apartment when he heard someone rapping on the door. "Oi vey," he muttered as he got up from the couch and headed for the door._ I wonder what could be happening now,_ Shu thought as he unlocked the door and opened it.

"SHU!" something exclaimed, as he latched onto the young singer, crying.

_Oh jeebus, now what?_ thought Shu. "What happened now Seji?"

Seji managed to unlatch himself from Shu and looked up at him. "My girlfriend just broke up with me," he said. "We were supposed to meet for dinner tonight, and when she came, she just kept saying a bunch of crap about me not being a good boyfriend or something."

Shu sighed. "C'mon in," he told the distraught bass player. "You can talk to me about it." Seji obeyed, managing to make it over to the couch, sniffling the entire time. Shu went over to the kitchen area and pulled out a couple of sodas. "So seriously, what happened?

Seji sighed, wiping away his tears. "Apparently, my girlfriend found out I'm bi and didn't like it. Or at least, that's part of it."

"What's the other part?" Shu asked, handing a soda to Seji.

"She said something about not wanting me to be a guitar player, or at least in the band. When I said there was no way I'd ever quit, she freaked even more than the 'being bi' part." Seji took a drink of his soda. "So I guess I'm back where I was a few months ago."

"Meh, don't worry about it," the young singer told him. "It's not like you're on a deadline for a partner of either gender. You've got your whole life to find someone."

Seji perked up for a second, suddenly remembering something. "Speaking of which, last night after the show, I saw you talking to some guy. Find a new boyfriend?"

Shu nearly choked on the soda that he was drinking. "What? Why do you say that?"

Seji smiled a little. "Because after I finished putting up the rest of the equipment, I came back to the bar and Rajura said you had just walked out with a guy. So…?"

Shu wanted to bang his head against the wall. _Curse you Rajura_, he thought. _You just HAD to tell Seji that I left with someone. _"Yes, I did leave with a guy. But he was wasted, so I just brought him back here to sleep. He woke up this morning, we had breakfast, and spent the day together," Shu sighed. "I gave him my number if he wanted to get a drink or something, but I dunno if he'll call back."

Seji chuckled mischievously. "I bet he will," he said. "Or at least, I hope he does for your sake. When was the last time you had a boyfriend?"

Shu thought about it for a few seconds. "It _has_ been awhile," Shu answered. "I think I was like, 18 or 19. So about four years or so."

"Damn," Seji sighed. "Well, good luck with that."

* * *

><p>Shin stared at the piece of paper in his hand, Shu's number on it. It had been about three days since the young man had woken up in the singer's apartment and gotten his number.<p>

Now the only question was when to call him.

He'd been debating about it for awhile now. Shin had once heard that there was a "three day rule" (or was it a two day rule? Was there even a specific set of guidelines?) when it came to calling a person or dating them. But since Shu wasn't his boyfriend, he had to go by the three day rule of dating…but that wasn't the only reason he had waited that long.

Once again, Shin picked up the phone that had been sitting on the kitchen table, and pressed the "CALL" button. But after a few seconds of staring at the phone, he hung up, sighing.

"HEY! Why so glum?"

Shin nearly jumped out of his chair when he heard Touma exclaim that and poke his sides at the same time. It was a habit of the blue-haired roommate to poke people when he felt they needed a pick-me-up. Only problem was, most people wanted to kill him after they felt him do so.

Shin glared at Touma. "I'm trying to figure out what to say, but every time I pick up the phone, I get nervous and can't think of anything to say."

Touma's ears perked up. "Well that's easy!" he said. He grabbed the phone and number from Shin's hands, and began dialing.

"HEY!" exclaimed Shin, as he went after Touma, who was trying to get out of Shin's reach. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Doing what you can't," Touma simply answered, stopping where he was and holding the ringing phone out for Shin. Suddenly, a _click_ and a voice came on the line.

*Ni-hao?*

Shin went from looking glaringly at Touma, to completely nervous-faced at the phone. He slowly took the phone from the blue-haired man, and answered. "This is Shin, is Shu there?"

*Oh hey! I was beginning to wonder if you'd call. What's up?*

Shin smiled. _Maybe this will be easier than I thought_, his brain said. "Not much. I just thought I'd call and see if you were busy tonight. I don't have anything to do-"

*What, your roommates are busy and leaving you home alone?*

"Oh no, nothing like that," Shin quickly said, Touma looking confused. "I just thought I'd call and see if you and your band were busy tonight."

*Nah, no gigs tonight. Just hanging around the apartment.*

"Well, uh, if you'd like to, do you want to…hang out or something tonight?"

A pause on the other end of the line. Shin held his breath for what seemed like an eternity before he finally heard,

*Sure. Anyplace in particular you'd like to go?*

Shin smiled and gave a thumbs-up to Touma. "Want to meet at Panda Park about 5 o'clock? I'm sure one of us will think of something once we get there." Then it occurred to Shin. "Do you know where Panda Park is?"

A bit of laughter on the other end. *Of course I do. I'll be there, don't worry.*

"Great! Ja ne!"

*Zai jian.*

Shin hung up the phone and practically did a twirl. "I'VE GOT A DATE!" he exclaimed. Touma smiled. "See, aren't you happy now that I dialed the number for you?" he asked. Shin stopped his twirling and looked evilly back at the blue-haired young man. "Perhaps so," he said. "But you are still in trouble!"

Touma's eyes widened, as he ran off and Shin chased after him, yelling the entire time.

* * *

><p>Shu hung up the phone, feeling lighter than air. He hadn't had a date in a long time, but he had a good feeling about Shin. Perhaps Seji had been right about needing someone, but so far, the bassist hadn't been right about much in his life.<p>

So the young man headed to the closet in his bedroom, trying to think of a great "first date" outfit. Well, technically, this might not be their first date since they met at the bar and spent the next day together, but it never hurt to look one's best. Or so Shu had always been told anyway.

The singer looked at the clock on his nightstand. It was 2:36. He had a little over two hours to get ready, so he began to look through his clothes, imagining how the rest of the day could possibly be.

* * *

><p>Glaring at the clock on the wall, Shin ran a comb through his hair. It was about 4:25, meaning that his time with Shu was fast approaching. He knew that if he kept watching the clock, it would just move slower. So after he put his comb down, he headed over to the mirror to inspect himself one last time before heading out.<p>

He was wearing a button down, navy blue shirt, a pair of dark jeans that had somehow managed to survive the laundry with two other roommates, and a black denim jacket. Only thing left was shoes, but those were at the door.

So Shin picked up his keys and wallet, leaving the confines of his room. On his way over to the door, Ryo noticed him. "Whoa," the other man said. "Got a hot date or something tonight?"

Shin sat down on the floor where they all kept their shoes. "Touma didn't tell you? I'm going to see Shu tonight."

Ryo nearly fell out of his seat. "Are you serious?" he exclaimed.

Shin looked at him inquisitively, one shoe on his foot. "Well, yeah," he said. "I thought you got the idea that I liked him."

"Not really," Ryo answered. "I just thought you thought he was a nice guy, but I didn't think you liked him like that."

Shin shook his head, putting the other shoe on his other foot. "God, you're dense," he said, turning and facing his other roommate. "I like this guy, and I want to know more about him. You guys talk about how I don't have a life. Well, I guess now I'm going to have one if tonight goes well."

Ryo sighed. "Alright, have a good time." As an after-thought, he said, "Don't forget the condoms!"

Shin smiled a little, ignoring the last comment. Then he headed out the door to his date-to-be, hoping it would be everything he imagined.

* * *

><p>Shu sat on a bench in Panda Park, close to one of the panda-themed play sets. He watched the other people hanging around, a bit self-conscious since Shin hadn't turned up yet. Then again, it was only 4:50. At least, according to his watch.<p>

He felt awkward because his normal apparel was stuff like a pair of jeans with a few rips in them and whatever t-shirt happened to be clean, and he was sitting there in a pair nicer jeans that had no holes whatsoever, an open long sleeved white shirt with a white t-shirt under that. The only thing that he could be relieved about while wearing a somewhat different-than-ordinary outfit was that no fans (if many) would probably recognize him.

Another thing to he felt uncomfortable with was how this was going to go. He hadn't had a date since he and his last boyfriend had gone separate ways, so he wasn't much into whatever things were going on lately. The only things he really knew about them in the past few years was whenever his younger sister would rant on and on about her boyfriends and the things they did whenever he went to his parent's restaurant to visit or help out.

Suddenly, he was jolted out of his growing worries/daydreams when he felt a *poke* in the shoulder. He turned around and was faced with a smiling Shin.

"I was hoping it was you," Shin said. "Otherwise, I'm sure I would've just pissed someone off."

Shu stood up and faced Shin, blushing a little. "Yeah, ya got me," he said, a bit of a smile on his face. "So, how would you like to spend the afternoon?"

Shin's face brightened up. "Well, I haven't eaten dinner yet. Want to go grab something to eat?"

The singer perked up. "Sure. What would you like? I'll eat anything."

"Really?"

"Yeah. My family and my band call me 'the human garbage disposal'," Shu said, a little embarrassed. "But I can't really help it either."

"Why's that?"

"Pick a place to eat and I'll tell ya."

* * *

><p>"So you've been doing it for that long?"<p>

"Ever since I was a little kid. My mom taught me how when I was a kid, and it's just something my whole family practices."

"Wow," Shin said, a bit amazed. "A whole family of kung fu masters. And you're also into judo?"

"I wouldn't say we're an entire family of masters," Shu said. "My brothers, except for Mei Ryu, and sisters are still learning from my dad. And ya, I learned judo from my grandpa."

The two had found a burger joint close by that Shin had heard about, but had yet to go to. It was rather a nice place, owned by an arcade chain owner. The owner in question had also wanted to build a place for teenagers to eat at as well, but it catered to everyone.

"But anyway, what's your family like?" Shu asked. "You haven't told me much about them."

Shin sighed. "Well, they're alright, last I heard," he started. "I haven't talked to them in awhile."

"Why not?"

Shin shrugged. "I dunno really," he said, sounding a bit sad. "I just haven't had much contact with my family since I left home."

Shu noted the sad look on the other one's face. "Hey, it's alright. You don't have to tell me anything if it's not a great story," he said, trying to cheer Shin up.

Shin did smile a little, which made Shu inwardly happy. "Well, I can tell you that I'm from the Hagi-Yamaguchi prefecture, and that I grew up with women."

This confused Shu. "What do you mean 'grew up with women'?"

"Well, my dad died when I was a kid, so I don't remember him very well," Shin told him. "He was the head of our family, but now my grandfather is. I grew up with my mother and sister, and they ran the pottery business my family owns." He paused a moment as a bitter memory suddenly came into his head.

"Something wrong?" Shu asked, noticing the change in mood.

Shin sighed. "Nothing."

Shu frowned, not liking Shin's sad face. A waitress suddenly walked up to their table, and placed the meals they had ordered in front of each person, each of the young men thanking the waitress before she left them be.

Shin started eating, when Shu said, "I'm sorry."

The other man swallowed his food. "About what?"

"If I said something bad-"

Shin shook his head. "It's alright. It's not your problem anyway," he said and continued to eat.

Shu let it go…for now.

* * *

><p>It was getting late as Shu and Shin sat on a hill in a nearby park, watching the sunset. After eating, they had spent some time wandering around downtown Tokyo, gone in a few interesting shops and what-not, eventually making their way to a park to rest.<p>

Shin smiled, having enjoyed the day. He thought back on some of the interesting shops they had gone into, like a charms-and-fortunes shop that Shu knew of.

Shu lay back on the grass, looking up at the orange-red sky. He couldn't think of a better date than what had occurred today. So he gazed up at the sky, smiling.

A crazy thought then popped into Shu's head. This could be a perfect opportunity…

Quickly sitting up, he looked at the setting sun, then at Shin. "Seems like today was a perfect day, wasn't it?" he asked.

Shin grinned. "Yea, what of it we spent together anyway," he said, looking at Shu. "Ever had one of those days where things were bad or not so fun, then it turns out great?"

Shu's smile dropped a fraction. "I suppose," he answered. "Was yours like that today?"

Shin thought about it. "Well, in a way I guess. One of my roommates seems like he's suspect of how I…"

Shu looked at him confused. "Of how you what?"

The other young man blushed a little. "Uhm….well…"

"…do you like someone?"

Shin face popped up in surprise, looking at Shu. "…yea, kinda," he said shyly. "But I haven't known him long."

Shu leaned in closer. "Do you think he likes you too?"

Faces centimenters apart, Shin started to lean in as well. "I hope so-"

Then their lips met.

* * *

><p>A figure watched from some nearby bushes as the two men on the hill locked lips. <em>So, that's who he's been talking about,<em> thought the one watching. _What's so intriguing about this one person?_

The figure watching had been following the two young men all day, wondering why these two were where they were. And something had interested him as well. What it was, he wasn't sure yet, but soon, he'd know.

Oh, he'd find out.

* * *

><p>Shin woke up the next morning, a smile coming to his face even before he opened his eyes. He looked up at the ceiling of his room, stretching a bit, remembering the previous day's event in the park. With Shu.<p>

He had enjoyed the date overall, but the best part of the evening for Shin had definitely been the kiss on the hill, during the sunset. After the event had taken place, Shu walked Shin back to his apartment, or perhaps it was the other way around since the singer had never actually been there. Either way, they got some extra time to be together as Shu had taken a hold of Shin's hand and held on the entire time, not letting go until they had reached the outside of Shin's building.

_That _little action had made the young man feel like he was walking on air for the rest of the night, from the instant Shu touched his hand until he went to sleep that night.

Shin sat up in bed and stretched. He had a long day of work ahead of him at the aquarium. As he got up and dressed, he thought that Touma and Ryo would probably want any details of what had happened on the date as well as the few friends he had at work, so he thought up of some good way to explain the previous day.

* * *

><p>Across the street from Shin's apartment, someone was watching from a park bench. Cloaked in a long coat and fedora hat, the person in question didn't exactly stick out, but they certainly wouldn't raise any questions from someone unless they were super suspicious.<p>

The person sitting there had followed (discreetly, of course) as the young men from the day before had come here and had stayed the entire night, wondering what was so special about this one young man that the other had taken home. Yes, the one who lived in this building was cute, but what was special about him?

Shin looked across the street, seeing no cars coming. However, there was someone sitting on a bench close to the street intersection, which Shin thought to be odd. Considering the fact that it was only about eight in the morning and this part of town wasn't usually busy, the young man could only wonder why there was someone just sitting there.

Shin looked at his watch and panicked. _I'm gonna be late for work! _With that thought, Shin ran from where he stood, towards the aquarium.

* * *

><p>Shu stretched his arms as he sat on the couch, the "Wanted Ads" sitting on the coffee table in front of him. He'd been looking for awhile for a <em>stable<em> job, one that didn't need him for only a few weeks or so. Sure, the band got paid by the owners of whatever club/bar they happened to be entertaining, but the gigs were spread out, so the money wasn't quite what anyone could make a living on. So instead of going all the way back to Yokohama, Shu had decided that he wanted to live where he currently was and make money his own way instead of being put to work in the restaurant.

The family owned establishment had been open ever since he could remember, and Shu, along with his four other brothers and sisters, had helped out/worked in the restaurant. Frankly, he had gotten bored with the restaurant years ago, so he hadn't gone back once he moved to where he currently was.

Shu was in mid-yawn when he heard the phone ring. He got up from the couch and walked over to a small table where the phone sat, along with a few other things. Picking it up, he only hoped that it wasn't a depressed Seji.

"Ni-hao?"

*Well well, look who's up. Wasn't sure if you'd be awake or not.*

"Why wouldn't I be Seji? It's one in the afternoon," Shu said. "If it'd be anyone not up, I think it would be you since you don't have to do anything."

*True true,* Seiji said. *Say, I was walking around town yesterday and saw you and that guy at one of the bigger charm shops in town.*

Shu panicked. "How the heck did you know where I was yesterday?"

*Ah-ha! I knew it! So, how'd the date go?*

"Wait, you just guessed?"

*Sure. I know you like that charms place better than any other store, so I just took a guess that you were there yesterday. I was downtown as well yesterday, but I didn't see you guys.*

Shu let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "It was great, but I'm still glad no one noticed us."

*Why not?*

"Because if some fans got wind of it, they might go ballistic and act all stalker-y. Remember when Taki's ex-girlfriend got wind of his current one and started harassing them?"

*Yeah, I remember,* Seji said uncomfortably. *She threatened him and her within an inch of their lives before the cops got her.*

Shu scratched his head and sighed. "Yeah. Anyway, I gotta go. I'm still looking through the ads for a job…unless you've got any suggestions."

*Not really, unless you want a job working as an instructor at the dojo.*

"So your family finally fired that guy?"

*Yeah, my grandfather said that he was too much of a slacker or something like that. So if you want to teach, just come on down to the dojo. I'm sure he'll hire you since you've got so much judo expertise.*

Shu thought about it for a moment. "Sure, I'll come down. But it can't be today, I've also got something else to do."

*Alright, I'll relay the message. Ja ne.*

"Zai jian." With that, Shu hung up the phone.

* * *

><p>Shin hauled another bucket of fish from its sitting place, as it was his turn to feed the penguins today. As he began to walk towards the penguins' exhibit via the employees' walkways, he heard his name.<p>

"SHIN!" The young man nearly fell forwards when the young woman glomped him from behind. "So how'd your man-date go the other day Shin?" the young lady asked, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"It was great Nasutei," he said, trying to get her off of him. She smiled and squealed, letting go of Shin. "I told you that going to that bar would be a good thing for you!" she exclaimed. "Did you take my fashion advice too? I bet you looked sexy!"

Shin smiled. "I did take it as a matter of fact," he said. "And I think that Shu took some from someone too, since he was dressed nicely as well."

"So that's his name huh?" Nasutei said, beginning to ponder as she walked with Shin. "Hm…where have I heard that name before?"

"Probably because he's in a band and performs at the clubs around town?" Shin suggested, rolling his eyes. Suddenly remembering the bucket in his hand, he said, "Sorry Nasutei, but I gotta go feed the penguins. I'll talk to you later, k?"

Nasutei nodded. "Alright, see you later!" she exclaimed as she ran towards whatever it was she was there for today.


End file.
